covert@covert.enet.dec.com (John R. Covert 06-Nov-1989 0932) (11/07/89)
I just talked to both Chicagoland cellular providers, and got the following information: Ameritech currently has the following Chicago (312) prefixes: 415 909 914* 805 802 718 [Summit, see below.] These, of course, remain 312. The following Ameritech prefixes will remain in area code 312, although they are in suburban rate centers: 550 (LaGrange), 590 (Arlington Heights), 502, 919 (Northbrook) For one year, they will still have suburban rate centers. At the end of that time they will be changed to Chicago rate centers. Ameritech customers who would like to keep suburban rate centers may change their numbers to 708-710 (LaGrange) or 708-370 (Northbrook). Cellular One has a "area-code split hotline" which required me to wait ten minutes. Then the person really didn't want to give me a list of prefixes. She told me that all of their prefixes are Schaumburg prefixes, although it turns out that there are two Chicago prefixes (+) among them. The rest are Rozelle. 659, 504, 815(?), 569(+), 401, 613, 315, 608, 203, 316, 607, 618, 320(+). As was previously mentioned; these remain in 312. The A/C split person said "we're working on moving them to Chicago." 815 doesn't exist, even though Cellular One had it on their list. 708-217 will be the only new Cellular One suburban prefix for now. Ameritech included 914 in the codes which are Chicago codes. However, 914 is currently a Summit rate center. Landline phones in Summit in prefixes 458, 496, 563, 594, 839 are moving to 508. However, 229 and 586 numbers are Chicago rate centers and are not moving. (I think Summit has been a topic of discussion in the past.) /john
dwtamkin@chinet.uucp (David Tamkin) (11/09/89)
Pat Townson solicited my input on a submission by John Covert about the effect of the 312/708 split on cellular service. OK, here goes (the citations are from John Covert): > I just talked to both Chicagoland cellular providers, and got the following > information: Information at which I only guessed, and John has cleared up. Thank you, Mr. Covert, for completing the task. > Ameritech currently has the following Chicago (312) prefixes: > 415 909 914* 805 802 718 [Summit, see below.] > These, of course, remain 312. According to Illinois Bell, 415 is not in use. Calls to the others are treated by IBT as calls to Summit and by Centel as calls to Chicago Zone 8 (except to 914, which both treat as a call to Summit). I believe these are in the Hickory Hills cellular switch: IBT's landline CO in Hickory Hills is considered part of the Oak Lawn rate center, but it's possible that the cellular switch in Hickory Hills is on the other side of town. Illinois Bell tends to list cellular prefixes' locations as the CO whose landlines cover the location of the cellular center. > The following Ameritech prefixes will remain in area code 312, although > they are in suburban rate centers: > 550 (LaGrange), 590 (Arlington Heights), 502, 919 (Northbrook) 550 is listed by IBT as being in Wheaton (but staying in 312); however, La Grange makes more sense. More on 590 down below: it's a problem. > For one year, they will still have suburban rate centers. At the end of that > time they will be changed to Chicago rate centers. > Ameritech customers who would like to keep suburban rate centers may change > their numbers to 708-710 (LaGrange) or 708-370 (Northbrook). > Cellular One has a "area-code split hotline" which required me to wait ten > minutes. Then the person really didn't want to give me a list of prefixes. Nova Cellular (who resells service from both Ameritech Mobile and Cellular One [the Cellular One name here is used by Southwestern Bell, not by Bell South as I may have said before] as well as selling equipment) are offering information on how the split will affect cellular customers at (312 becoming 708) 571-4200. Perhaps someone less shy than I can probe their soources as Mr. Covert did with the cellular providers themselves. What was the hotline number at Cellular One? (312 becoming 708) 882-2181? 1-800-CELL-ONE? Those are their regular customer service numbers, but I too have heard them advertised as a source for area code split information. Mr. Covert might have reached someone who had no special designation for providing area code split information. > She told me that all of their prefixes are Schaumburg prefixes, although it > turns out that there are two Chicago prefixes (+) among them. The rest are > Rozelle. The Roselle (with an S) rate center includes the towns of Schaumburg, Hoffman Estates, and Bloomingdale as well as Roselle and parts of others. All IBT landline prefixes from the Roselle, Schaumburg, and Schauburg North CO's, plus those prefixes in the Willowcrest CO that are assigned to subscribers south of I-90 and Cellular One service from Schaumburg, make up the Roselle rate center. Cellular One's installation is in Schaumburg, so it can easily be Schaumburg to them but Roselle on the rate center list. > 659, 504, 815(?), 569(+), 401, 613, 315, 608, 203, 316, 607, 618, 320(+). According to IBT, 203, 618, and 815 are not in use. 569 is a landline prefix from Chicago-Newcastle (formerly wired from the Elk Grove CO) used for foreign exchange service to the northwestern suburbs, but apparently Cellular One has a block of numbers on it. (The same is true of Ameritech Mobile's space on 590: Illinois Bell confirmed that 590 is a landline prefix in Arlington Heights. A friend mentioned that a friend of hers had service on 569, and my brother's car phone is on 590.) All telephone numbers I've seen on 569 are from 2000 on up, so possibly the lower numbers are used for cellular service or the highest one's above the top of the block beginning at 569-3000, used by United Airlines' reservation agents. [Flash: I just checked with IBT's audio response service again, and there are these changes since yesterday: 309 (!) and 320 will be in 312, 217 (!) and 999 will be in 708, and 590 "will be 312 for cellular customers and 708 for all other customers." That leaves 203, 212, 415, 494, 514, 618, 760, 809, 903, and 912 available, assuming that state boundaries mean nothing but that LATA boundaries still do. Having a specific question to ask, I swallowed my shyness and called both Illinois Bell and Ameritech Mobile to ask about 590. Each claimed to be unaware that it was shared with another provider; each concurred that whatever 590 phones they controlled would go the the respective area code (708 for IBT and 312 for Ameritech Mobile); neither could provide me any guide, say by groups of specific thousands, to which 590-XXXX's were theirs and which were from the other company. 569 is not a problem because its land lines as well as its cellular lines will be in 312.] 320 is apparently in the Chicago-Congress cellular CO or divided between there and the Chicago-Wabash landline CO a couple blocks away. The other prefixes on that list (besides 203, 569, 618, and 815) are Cellular One service from Schaumburg; maybe the cellular lines on 569 are in Schaumburg too. IBT lists them as Willowcrest because the Schaumburg cellular installation is in the area where landlines come from the Willowcrest CO. > As was previously mentioned; these remain in 312. The A/C split person said > "we're working on moving them to Chicago." 815 doesn't exist, even though > Cellular One had it on their list. Neither do 203 and 618, as far as I can tell. > 708-217 will be the only new Cellular One suburban prefix for now. So much for the sanctity of prefixes that match NPA's in the same state. 309 has also been assigned, it turns out. > Ameritech included 914 in the codes which are Chicago codes. However, 914 > is currently a Summit rate center. Landline phones in Summit in prefixes > 458, 496, 563, 594, 839 are moving to 508. However, 229 and 586 numbers > are Chicago rate centers and are not moving. (I think Summit has been a > topic of discussion in the past.) John's division of IBT landline prefixes from the Summit CO is correct, but the suburban ones will be in 708; they are not moving to Massachusetts. David Tamkin P.O Box 813 Rosemont, Illinois 60018-0813 | BIX: dattier dwtamkin@chinet.chi.il.us (708) 518-6769 (312) 693-0591 | GEnie: D.W.TAMKIN Everyone on Chinet has his or her own opinion about this.| CIS: 73720,1570